China Man

Nasty insinuations against Candidate Herbert Hoover sped like wasps, last week, to buzz in a secluded and exotic Chinese garden in the village of Tongka, not far from Canton. The lord of the garden and of the village--a model village--is the venerable Tang Shao-yi, perhaps the last great statesman of the fallen Manchu Regime to survive in dignity and honor. Round his placid head the nasty rumors and insinuations buzzed. Soon the old

Chinaman was dictating in indignation: "Information has reached me in my retreat that persons in America and China insinuate that Herbert Hoover acted dishonorably in dealings involving the Chinese Engineering and Mining Company a quarter of a century ago. ... I believe I am the only Cninese living who was closely identified with that company during Mr. Hoover's connection. My uncle founded the company. . . . During the eighteen months Mr. Hoover was connected with the company, first as engineer and later as manager, it changed from a nonsuccess to a success, and continued as a success. . . . Mr. Hoover's record in China is clean and honorable, highly creditable and in many ways remarkable. ... In my opinion Mr. Hoover took away from China far less than he rightly earned, and today he retains the respect of the Chinese in a degree equal to that of any foreigner who ever was connected with our country."

Such testimony from an Elder Statesman with the majestic record of Tang Shao-yi is of weightiest import. His career began, like that of Candidate Hoover, in the development of large engineering enterprises and led to government posts comparable in China to that which Mr. Hoover now holds in the U. S. Tang Shao-yi was Managing Director of the Imperial Railways of North China in 1900, and shortly afterwards became High Commissioner of Customs under the patronage of the great Viceroy of Chihli and subsequent President of China Yuan Shih-kai. Before the advent of the republican regime, Tang Shao-yi was sent to Washington as special Ambassador of the Manchu Emperor. Later he served as Prime Minister of the Government at Peking and as Minister of Finance under the Cantonese Government. He saw his son-in-law, Dr. Wellington Koo, Ambassador at Washington; and today that post is held by his nephew-in-law, Dr. Alfred Sze.

In explaining his championship of Candidate Hoover, last week, Tang Shao-yi declared with emotion: "I am actuated ... by a sense of justice, and also [by] gratitude for Mr. Hoover's acts in rescuing my family during the Boxer uprising . . . when he lived across the street from my family in Tientsin.

"One day a large Boxer shell struck my house, killing several, including my wife and fourth daughter. Mr. Hoover rushed over, risking his life, and helped rescue us while the house burned."

Tang Shao-yi might have added the concluding detail that Rescuer Hoover wrapped up a Chinababe in his coat, during the fire, and dashed with her from the house. She, a daughter of Tang Shao-yi, grew up to become that very great and smart lady, Mrs. Wellington Koo, whose husband was, before 40, ambassador to two big nations, twice a minister in the Chinese cabinet, twice a delegate to international conferences, and to the League Assembly.